ARF Emphasized Significance of 2nd Inter-Korean Summit

The 8th ARF Foreign Minister Meeting in Hanoi ended on July 25, adopting a declaration, which reads ``the second Inter-Korean summit talk is very important for the establishment of permanent peace status`` in relation to the Korean peninsula.

Foreign Minister Han Seung-Soo delivered the South`s proposal for the immediate resumption of the Inter-Korean dialogue to recover the Inter-Korean relationship to North Korean circuit ambassador Huh Jong at the meeting. But ambassador Huh did not state any specific answer.

The meeting adopted the three documents regarding the strengthening of preventive diplomacy, the strengthening the chairperson`s role, and the database of the experts and celebrities in addition to the chairperson`s statement. And ARF also released the annual security reports from 15 countries including the North. North Korea expressed its concerns about the implementation of the 6.15 Joint Declaration for a peaceful unification of the Korean peninsula, the resolution of the truce status between the North and the U.S. and the abandonment of the U.S.`s hostile policies against the North, and the Japan`s re-militarization. The report did not show any big difference from the joint editorial of the North Korean press on the foreign policies early this year.

Minister Han met with Japan`s Foreign Minister Tanaka Makiko after the end of the meeting to urge for the sincere responses of Japan for the rectification of the distorted history textbooks for the constructive future of the two countries. Mr. Han also delivered the Korea`s serious concern about the plan of Japan`s Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro to pay reverence to the Yaskuni temple. However, Japan`s Foreign Minister Tanaka repeated the basic principle that the Japanese government can review the issue after 8.15.

spear@donga.com